Plaintiffs Call Defense Witnesses From Criminal Trial
SANTA MONICA, Nov. 7 (Noon) -- Dr. Robert Huizenga took the stand Thursday morning in the O.J. Simpson civil trial, meticulously describing the 11 cuts and abrasions he saw on Simpson's hands three days after the murders took place. Deposition testimony from Kenneth Berris, the Chicago police detective who examined Simpson's hotel room on June 13, 1994, was also read into the record.
Both witnesses testified for the defense in the criminal trial, but they were called by the plaintiffs for the civil proceedings.
Jurors were excused for the day at 10:50 a.m. to allow the judge to hear motions in the afternoon. Scheduled is a hearing to determine if the plaintiffs can introduce evidence about the profile of a person who commits a domestic homicide. Park Dietz, a nationally known forensic psychiatrist, and Donald Dutton, a domestic violence expert, are expected to testify at the hearing.
Dr. Huizenga examined Simpson twice shortly after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, at the behest of criminal defense lawyer Robert Shapiro. The doctor told the jury that during the two examinations -- on June 15 and June 17, 1994 -- Simpson had three small cuts and seven abrasions on his left hand, and one small cut on his right. The plaintiffs asked Huizenga only to note their presence and provide a time frame for when they happened. They did not ask how the cuts might have occurred.
"These injuries had occurred within the last five to seven days," Huizenga said.
"That would include June 12, 1994?" Plaintiffs attorney Daniel Petrocelli asked.
"That would be within five to seven days," Huizenga replied.
Chicago Police Detective Kenneth Berris' testimony focused on his search of the hotel room Simpson stayed in the night after the murders. Berris said that he saw red drops, which he called "suspect blood," on the sheets in the middle of the bed and also on pillowcases. He also testified that there was a broken glass in the bathroom sink and chips of glass around the bathroom vanity. But the only blood in the bathroom was a small amount on a face cloth, Berris said. There was no blood on the glass shards, the sink, or the vanity, according to the testimony.
During a short cross-examination, Berris admitted that no tests were done to check for the presence of blood in the bathroom.
Simpson left court abruptly in the middle of Berris' testimony.
-Robert SchmidtFind out about Court TV's coverage of the civil trial, and take a look at the witness lists provided by both sides.
Rob Schmidt's Reporter's Notebook
Court TV Reports and Trial Coverage
Documents and Depositions from the Pre-Trial Civil Proceedings
A Look Back at the Criminal Case
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